Rekindling our sense of adventure

When our sense of adventure is alive and well, we are filled with suspense. We wonder what will happen next. We realize how each of the characters in our situation are capable of surprising reversals. We sense how everything is in transition that may regress before more progress can occur. We expect a climax of the tensions to be realized that will fulfill the purpose of so much drama. We are immersed, engaged and captivated by the unfolding series of incidents.

When we've lost our sense of adventure, we are bored by the sameness of occurrences. We can predict that "the same old same old" will happen next and get it right most of the time. We find the characters in our situation to be superficially portrayed and motivated by obvious pressures. We fail to anticipate any satisfying outcomes. We have no sense of suspense or climax to resolve a big promise and purpose in the story we're following. We are annoyed by all the drama as we watch with too much detachment.

We can restore our sense of adventure by questioning our outlook to toward others. We can wonder about hidden and conflicted motives in the main characters. We can question the possible trends in their developing capabilities, self concept and contributions. We can look for patterns over their personal history and sequence of developmental challenges. We can suspect that things might get worse or come to a head to create a developmental crisis. We may feel for them and identify with them as they struggle against adversity. We may celebrate their hard won conquests, advances and realizations as they evolve through the drama.

With our sense of adventure restored, we can play ourselves in the story we behold. We can take action like a hero/heroine and block the progress of antagonists. We can reflect on incidents as if they are inside a story. We can wonder the about the purpose and implicit promise in the overall experience. We can challenge our preconceptions about the unfolding outcomes, motivations and tensions. We can suspend our disbelief and immerse ourselves in learning as the story plays itself out.

Technorati tags: storytelling, character development